Friday, 8 March 2013

Irish Times - 7thMarch, 2013.
Brussels
will be forced to water down tough data protection rules in a move that will
come as a relief to tech groups after many of the EU’s member states called for
a softer approach to the privacy push.
The
climbdown will be welcomed by companies that collect large amounts of personal
data, such as Google and Facebook, which have lobbied furiously against the
proposed regulation, as well as the US government.
Washington
has repeatedly voiced its concern that the rules, which include the power to
fine companies up to 2 per cent of global turnover for breaching onerous data
protection standards, were targeted specifically at US technology groups.
Resolving
the transatlantic dispute over data protection rules could ease the way towards
a new EU-US trade agreement over the next two years, which boasts huge
commercial potential but is also rife with complications.
The plan
will be softened after at least nine countries – including the UK, Germany,
Sweden and Belgium – said they were opposed to several proposed measures.